When London Fletcher announced in December that he expected to retire at season’s end, he left the door slightly open for a potential return, suggesting that he was “99% sure” he’d call it quits. Nearly two months later, Fletcher continues to stick by that assertion. Speaking to Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com, Fletcher said of his retirement odds: “It’s still 99%. You have to leave that one percent out there.”
Fletcher, who will turn 39 this May, told ESPN.com’s John Keim toward the end of the 2013 regular season that the only scenario in which he’d return in 2014 would be on a playoff contender that had a few games left on its schedule. For now, as he tells Klemko, the longtime Redskin appears to be focused on transitioning into a television role.
“I still want to be around the sport, and I think I can give some insight about the game, because I’ve been around it so long. I think I could provide some good analysis,” Fletcher said. “I’ve done enough in the last four or five years to know how it goes. Coaching was a thought, and I’ll never say never, but I have three young kids, so the demand and hours that would come with coaching is not what I want to do.”
While Fletcher still started all 16 games for Washington this season and recorded 110 overall tackles, advanced metrics suggest that he’s slowed down significantly over the last couple years. Pro Football Focus ranked his performance 55th among inside linebackers in 2013 (subscription required).